Born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Stephanie Goldberg Ansaldo is the second of three daughters born to Col. Seymour Goldberg and Vera Hentschel Goldberg. Her father was an American Army Officer serving in Dachau, Germany during the American occupation following World War II. He was also Jewish. Her mother, a German Lutheran, lived in that same small German town. They met, fell in love, and forged a bond that lasted for fifty-four years. This relationship, that defied history, turned what could understandably have been hatred, into love, establishing a bridge between two unlikely cultures. Her parents have been the living example of tolerance, respect and compassion without borders that formed Ms. Ansaldo’s worldview and became her creed for life.
As a non-profit president, family therapist, and community volunteer, Ms. Ansaldo is known as a bridge builder who works to address issues of inhumanity, injustice and human suffering. She finds richness in individual differences and embraces diversity. It was with this perspective that she began her two-year pursuit of Nobel Laureate for Peace, Elie Wiesel, culminating in the community-wide Elie Wiesel Project of 1997. Prof. Wiesel was so inspired by his brief, but transformative visit to Charlotte that he challenged Ansaldo to continue the work for justice, dignity and moral courage she had begun. His offer of wholehearted support, seed money and commitment to be Honorary Chairperson gave birth to The Echo Foundation.
Ansaldo is a lecturer, a Founding Trustee of the Outdoor Academy of the Southern Appalachians; serves on the Advisory Board of Moderate Voices for Peace; is a former Hospice Volunteer; and, from time to time, conducts workshops for parents and educators on adolescent issues, primarily depression and eating disorders. She was awarded the inaugural Bob Barret Social Justice Award in 2008, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine in February, 2005, The Charlotte Observer "Heroes of Democracy" Award in 1997 and was a Nancy Susan Reynolds Award finalist in 1998.
Ms. Ansaldo holds a B.S. Degree in Child Development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a M.S. in Clinical Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Currently she serves as President and Trustee of The Echo Foundation whose mission is "… to sponsor and facilitate those voices that speak of human dignity, justice and moral courage in way that will lead to positive action for humankind”. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, architect, Tony Ansaldo. They have two sons, Alex and Nicholas.